According to a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, fully 60 percent of American drivers admit to having driven a motor vehicle while feeling sleepy or drowsy at some point during the past year. That equates to nearly 170 million people, more than half of the total population in the United States. More than 37 percent admitted to actually having fallen asleep behind the wheel during that same period and of that number, 13 percent say that they had fallen asleep at least once per month during the year. And of those, 4 percent said that they had caused or nearly caused an accident because the fell asleep or were driving while drowsy.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are more than 100,000 car crashes reported annually that are the direct result of driver fatigue or driver’s falling asleep while driving. Of those, there are an estimated 71,000 serious injuries, more than 1,500 deaths, and over $12 billion in monetary and property losses. Driving while drowsy is considered just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated but is far more difficult to contain because there are no tests available to determine a driver’s level of sleepiness the way there is for alcohol or drug intoxication.
If you have been the victim of a negligent accident, contact our law offices immediately at (864) 280-7660 today or contact us online. We will be able to review your case and inspect the tire to see if it has been subject to a recall Especially in the case that said accident resulted in serious injury or death, you may be entitled to monetary compensation.
